9/11: 180th Fighter Wing duties changed

Editor’s Note: Reporter Brian Malkowski will spend shifts at various Toledo workplaces to offer insight into the people who work some of the area’s most interesting jobs.

Like most Americans, I can remember where I was and what I was doing on Sept. 11, 2001. A college student two weeks from my 21st birthday, I spent most of the day watching the news on TV as classes had been canceled at The University of Toledo.

I went to my girlfriend’s parents’ house and watched even more news until a friend of mine and I said, “Enough is enough; lets go do something.” I figured the monsters that attacked us would love it if I just sat around and did nothing all day.

On our way, I noticed the lines at gas stations because people had no clue what had happened or what to expect.

Since 9/11, I have been to Ground Zero a few times and even though I didn’t personally know anyone who was lost that day, it sure does feel like it. I could write this whole article on how I’ll answer my son when he comes home from school someday and asks me what a terrorist is, but instead I’m going to stay positive and remind readers that no matter what the challenge, we will always prevail because we are Americans.

I recently spent a day at the 180th Fighter Wing, located at the Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, to meet the people who in a moment’s notice are prepared to protect our country.

I was scheduled to be at the base at 8 a.m. to shadow fighter pilot Lt. Col. Christopher Belli.

Lt. Col. Christopher Belli

The 180th Fighter Wing has been a staple in our community since 1955 and has been involved in several real-world contingencies. Its mission is to provide combat-ready airmen for federal, state and community missions. Since 9/11, unit members have volunteered for numerous missions, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

When I arrived at the base it was no surprise I was greeted at the gate by guardsmen armed with machine guns and briefed for my arrival. I was told to park and wait for my escort, Maj. Gary Bentley of the U.S. Air Force, to show me where I was to drive next. After parking, I sat in the main office and waited for “Bucket” — Belli’s call sign — to get out of his mass briefing.

After Belli was through with his briefing, he gave me a quick tour of the facilities and then headed to the pilots’ locker room where he put on 40 pounds of gear. Items included in his equipment were a G-suit and his $100,000 heads-up display helmet. One of the key features of this helmet allows the pilot to look and fire versus pointing the aircraft and firing. After Belli put this helmet on, I asked him to please not look at me.

Fully geared up, we made the walk outside to the parking lot filled with F-16s. In what looked like a scene from “Top Gun,” there was a sea of activity with numerous crewmembers performing various tasks. This walk is basically where the pilots put on their game face. From this point, I didn’t say another word to Belli.

The F-16CM Fighting Falcon that Belli flew is made by Lockheed Martin and has a top speed of 1,500 mph (Mach 2). This $16 million machine is powered by a Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229 which provides 29,000 pounds of thrust.

As we arrived at the aircraft that Belli was to take on a 90-minute training mission, we were greeted by a crewmember who assisted with a preflight inspection. This 15-minute inspection is no joke; every tool is accounted for in a custom toolbox. If one tool is missing that plane is grounded until it is found.

Belli walked around the aircraft, inspecting everything from top to bottom before finally entering the aircraft. Once aboard, he fired up the plane and checked the operation of the controls. All systems go, he made his short trip out to the runway and was up in the air in seconds.

Where and what Belli did for the next 90 minutes is classified and no more pictures were to be taken after the aircraft was in the air.

Belli works four 10-hour days each week and one weekend a month. He has logged in more than 3,000 hours in an F-16, so I asked him, “What could you possibly do for fun when you’re not at work?”

Belli said he enjoys time on the water, fishing with the family in his ’59 Lyman. He also has a four-seater Cessna that he often takes on short trips. Flying this smaller aircraft in his spare time gives Belli an opportunity to turn off the “fighter pilot” and just enjoy flying.

Belli remembered the exact room he was in when the base learned of the 9/11 attacks. Not only did the 180th Fighter Wing provide support in the air that day, it also changed forever. The base now sit “Alert” 24/7, 365 days a year, having staff and F-16s available at a moment’s notice.

On the Job: No dull moments during police shift

Editor’s Note: Reporter Brian Malkowski will spend shifts at various Toledo workplaces to offer insight into the people who work some of the area’s most interesting jobs.

In August 2010, more than 1,000 people took the civil service exam to join the Toledo Police Department. With that many people interested in one of the most dangerous and stressful jobs Toledo has to offer, it made me wonder if these individuals really know what they’re getting into. What is it like to be a police officer?

At 6 a.m., a mother is packing lunches, getting kids dressed and waiting for the school bus. At 8 a.m. she’s off to the gym for a spin class. She heads back home to do some work around the house and hit the shower because her day hasn’t even started yet. That’s because Officer Michelle Sterling, a 19-year veteran, is due in Downtown Toledo at The Safety Building.

‘Hard eight’

At 2:30 p.m., officers are in roll call getting briefed and having their weapons inspected. After roll call, Officer Sterling and her partner Officer Greg Szymanski head to their cruiser to put in their “hard eight.” They call in for service and check the computer for calls in their area. The two officers work the North End and are part of Weed and Seed, a community-based, comprehensive, multi-agency approach to combating violent crime, drug use and gang activity in high-crime neighborhoods.

Officers Szymanski and Sterling.

During my ridealong, I learned there’s never a dull moment in the North End. Petty theft, burglary, solicitation, disorderly conduct, domestic disputes and traffic violations are just some of the crimes that keep this crew busy. I saw how the use of information technology makes it faster and easier to perform police work. The computer they use has a few extra features that other cruisers don’t have, such as a GPS, an online mug shot database, and the ability to text message the dispatcher. This allows the dispatcher to talk with several crews at the same time and keeps information off police scanners.

They responded to a call about a 49-year-old male shoplifting at a grocery store. The store had him on camera stealing food two days in a row. The man was arrested for petty theft and told never to return to the store. On the ride to Lucas County Jail, the officers ran his ID and pulled his mug shot and history up on the computer. The crime he committed joined a long record.

Hell on wheels

The strangest call of the night was for a disorderly man at the Greyhound bus station. We walked in to see a man in a motorized wheelchair who appeared to be intoxicated. He had been denied entry to the bus for yelling obscenities to the others in the station and would have to wait two days for another bus.

Once the officers arrived, they tried to calm the man down as he continued with disorderly behavior. This was the first call of its kind for Officer Szymanski, who remained cool for 15 minutes as the man threatened him. The officers tried to find him a place to stay for the night, however, the man continued to be disorderly and was placed under arrest.

Four officers picked him up still in his scooter and placed him in the back of the police van.

At night, the old Polish neighborhood is better known as the Red Light District. We had just turned onto Lagrange Street and noticed a female leaning inside a car. Once she saw the cruiser she began to walk away. The officers pulled up and called her over to the car. They ran her ID and discovered she had priors for solicitation. Officer Sterling performed a pat down and a crack pipe was found. She was cuffed, arrested and taken to jail. On the way to the jail I was amazed that the female didn’t care that she was being arrested but was only concerned that her picture was going to be displayed in one of the local crime rags found in carryouts.

Speed and surprise

This ridealong was a great experience and I saw firsthand what it’s like and what it takes to be a police officer. One of the general duties listed in the civil service commission for a police officer is maintaining a balanced perspective in the face of constant exposure to the worst side of human nature. Dangerous situations in unknown environments are an everyday occurrence. If you have ever seen a cruiser in hot pursuit and wondered how fast they can get from point A to point B, trust me — it’s fast. When a unit hits the lights and sirens, city streets turn into an expressway.

The officers I rode with attend neighborhood meetings where residents’ concerns are heard. Because of these meetings, the officers know the residents and the area’s criminals by name. Later in the night during my ridealong, the officers were looking for a gentleman with numerous warrants. They questioned a resident if they had seen the gentleman and five minutes later they had him in custody. The officers were surprised how fast they found him.

I was very impressed with Officers Sterling and Szymanski and all the other officers I met. If you see police officers, shake their hands and thank them for their hard work.

On the Job: Off-ice action keeps Walleye games smooth for fans

Editor’s Note: Reporter Brian Malkowski will spend shifts at various Toledo workplaces to offer insight into the people who work some of the area’s most interesting jobs.

Recently, two magazines named The Huntington Center one of America’s top venues. Pollstar.com named the arena one the top 100 worldwide venues and Venues Today ranked the arena 11th on its list for arenas with 5,000 to 10,000 seats. Since its opening, the $105 million, 8,000-plus-seat arena has attracted national touring concerts, family shows and sporting events. Its main sporting event, hockey, is facilitated by the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, General Manager Joe Napoli and head coach Nick Vitucci.

Napoli, GM of the Walleye and Mud Hens, has one of Toledo’s toughest jobs — selling sports entertainment to a city laboring under a 10 percent unemployment rate. I asked Napoli how Toledo hockey fans have adapted to the Walleye and the new arena.

“Toledo hockey fans have enthusiastically embraced the Walleye,” he said. “The Walleye are among the league leaders in season ticket sales and merchandise sales again this year. Scarborough Research also placed Toledo as one of the top five markets in America for avid minor league hockey fans.”

Coach Nick Vitucci

Head coach Nick Vitucci is no stranger to hockey. Having decided to put down his plumber’s wrench for a goalie’s stick, he has been involved with the ECHL since its inception. Playing 14 seasons as a goalie and being inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame’s inaugural class, Vitucci decided that coaching would be his next challenge. He started as head coach in 2003 with The Toledo Storm and after two-year hiatus remained Toledo’s Head coach with the Walleye.

So what’s it like to be the head coach of The Walleye? I spent a day with Vitucci to find out.

I met Vitucci on a 9 a.m. Saturday gameday morning in his office at the Huntington Center. With a bagel and coffee he sat and watched video of the game the Walleye won the night before on his laptop. Using STEVA software, he cut clips from the game to show players what he’d seen. Around 10 a.m., players hit the ice for their skatearound while the coach gave me a tour of the locker room.

The locker room was designed to keep the trainer’s room and equipment room up front and the player’s lounge and stalls in the back. This keeps any activity or commotion away from Vitucci while he talks to his players. The coach’s office is located in the middle with a TV, computers and a couch. After the tour, the coach then walked me out on the ice. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as slippery as I expected.

During the skatearound, players wore white and blue jerseys while running drills. The forwards took shots and the defense defended the goal. The coach noticed everything on the ice, including the opposing coach off the ice scouting the team. After the skatearound, the coach headed back to the computer to tighten up loose ends.

The computer is loaded with payroll, free agents and scores of incoming emails. Common email requests for the coach include hockey players who want a try out for the Walleye. This is actually possible because for the past two years, the Walleye have offered a summer free agent camp. Anybody who thinks they have what it takes is given a whole weekend to prove it. Unfortunately, the past two camps have not been able to produce a signed player.

“It’s only a matter of time until we sign a walk-on,” Vitucci said.

Family man

Pulling all nighters at the rink and numerous days on the road is not easy on a family. Vitucci, married to wife Dawn, tries to be home as much as possible while raising their 10-year-old son Keegan. When the coach is home, the family watches movies or hockey on TV. Keegan has followed in his dad’s footsteps and is a goalie on his hockey team. He also plays baseball and enjoys fishing with his dad.

Game time

After the skatearound, the players and staff sign one of the camouflage jerseys being worn that night to be auctioned for charity. One of the Walleye’s own, Pvt. Aaron Bauer, who recently went active, will soon receive his personalized Walleye jersey from the team. Pvt. Bauer is an assistant equipment manager for the Walleye. Soon after the military is recognized, the national anthem is played and it is game time.

The game I watched, versus Elmira, almost went down in history before the first period was finished. Elmira scored six goals to Toledo’s one. When the Boyer horn blew signaling the end of the period, the coach left the ice and walked straight forward to the locker room. Vitucci challenged his players to work harder and believe they could come back.

“We have two periods left, so let’s peck away at it,” he said.

That must have worked because when the Walleye hit the ice to start the second period, the players were all business. Changing course, the Walleye ended the second period down 7-5. Still walking straight to the locker room, Vitucci told the players, “to keep the intensity and keep the belief.”

The third period started with three quick goals and with the last goal at 12:41 left in the third, the Walleye held on to win 8-7. The Walleye, who were once down 5-0, came back for an unbelievable win.

After the game, it was time for the Walleye players to auction off their military jerseys one by one. The Walleyes charities include Heroes in Action and Honor Flight. Heroes in Action of Toledo is a nonprofit that sends care packages to military personnel and helps aid their families while they are away during service. Honor Flight is a nonprofit that flies veterans from Northwest Ohio to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials that built and dedicated for their service.

Behind the scenes

Spending the day with the Walleye, I saw all the behind-the-scenes activity, from players being counseled in the locker room to the Zamboni being cleaned. Toledo should be thankful for the $105 million venue located Downtown and the people who work there for the fans’ enjoyment.

On the Job: A night in the emergency room

Editor’s Note: Reporter Brian Malkowski will spend shifts at various Toledo workplaces to offer insight into the people who work some of the area’s toughest jobs.

About a year ago, ProMedica’s Flower Hospital wanted to initiate a plan to reduce patient wait times in its emergency room and with just a few minor changes it has done so. When patients checked in they used to wait on average an hour before they were given a bed; now that wait is less than 30 minutes. Flower’s ER sees nearly 30,000 patients a year. With this much volume in a nonstop chaotic environment, in which areas did the hospital find room for improvement?

Dr. Mattin

Before I started my day in the ER I sat down with Flower’s ER director, Sherry Watson. Wearing white pants, a white coat and a smile from ear to ear, she could not wait to talk about the changes made in the ER. She started by acknowledging that her team makes it happen every day whether she’s there or not. The first major change the ER made is that when patients checks in, they are immediately sent to one of 25 ER beds. In the past they were sent to triage, which basically prioritized the severity of the emergency. Getting a patient directly to a room and triaged is saving the patient at least 30 minutes. Second, the doctors used to take notes in each room and document each case themselves in between seeing other patients. Now a scribe has been added to follow each doctor, saving at least 90 to 120 minutes each eight-hour shift. This allows doctors another two hours of seeing more patients instead of punching computer keys.

Dr. Mattin

I saw these changes in action as I was given the opportunity to follow Dr. Michael Mattin during his shift on the floor. Dr. Mattin’s shift might start at 2 p.m., but his day starts at home with his wife, raising their four boys. On his way to work, he usually finds himself on the cell phone talking to one of his EPNO (Emergency Physicians of Northwest Ohio) co-members about a case or a question another physician may have.

Once he arrives, it’s just like a scene out of the TV show “ER.” His day starts and ends in what is called a fish bowl, a glass-enclosed area filled with computers, monitors, ringing telephones and various colors of scrubs-wearing staff performing different objectives. He gets the rundown from the doctor he is relieving by looking at the tracking board, a monitor filled with all the patients in every room. It tells him the status of the patient: seen, needs to be seen, waiting on something, etc. The software looks something like a setup wizard. A patient can be diagnosed, admitted, prescribed a script, or discharged simply by a click of the mouse.

Wearing slacks and a button-down shirt, Dr. Mattin prefers to forgo the white coat worn by most doctors. He also prefers walking into a patient’s room shaking hands and having a seat next to the patient, creating a friendly encounter versus hovering over the patient.

Each of his colleagues are greeted the same, no matter how awkward the interruption. Dr. Mattin remains calm as he assists in numerous questions while moving from room to room. I counted, in a three-minute period, as seven different people asking him questions as he gets snack and talks on the phone with another doctor. No breaks and no lunch were taken during his shift, so sneaking in two pieces of pizza and a 20-ounce Mountain Dew took creativity.

The number of patients seen and the severity of their conditions in an eight-hour ER shift can never be predicted. From a simple cut on a finger to a heart attack, each case is treated as an emergency. People in the waiting room might think someone is wasting space in an ER for a simple cut on the hand, but what one needs to remember is that someone with a simple cut or someone having a heart attack have something serious in common: their anxiety level. The hospital respects this.

Elizabeth Solely, a 72-year-old woman, had been experiencing back pain and after X-rays are taken, Dr. Mattin discovered a compression fracture in one of her vertebra. Upset as she is admitted to the hospital and not going home to her cats that evening, Solely stays overnight for a kyphoplasty, a spinal procedure where bone cement is injected through a small hole in the skin after the vertebra is repositioned using a balloon. Now that the vertebra was restored to a more normal position and feeling pain relief almost instantly. After spending less than 32 hours in the hospital, she was discharged and sent home.

A male patient with a swollen neck due to cancer is in pain and refusing an IV. To make matters worse, he was there by himself and does not speak English. The hospital uses MARTTI, a mobile real-time interpreter. For around $2 a minute, the hospital has access to 150 languages, including sign language. Before, the hospital had to hope there was someone nearby to translate and has then trust what they were translating. Now they just wheel in MARTTI. Dr. Mattin dials in and has the interpreter explain to the patient that because of the severity of his condition he would be admitted to the hospital.

The ER is not where 8-year-old Raziah wants to be. She was sent by her doctor for X-rays. Raziah is all smiles while sitting upright in her ER room talking to the doctor, answering questions. After X-rays are taken by the doctor and a popsicle taken by Raziah, she is discharged.

The most interesting case of the day is the 40-year-old man experiencing chest problems. In the past two months the man has lost 40 pounds. With his immediate family by his side, he answers the doctor’s questions with slurred speech. After X-rays find an unexplainable chest mass, the man is admitted for nerve tests. Testing finds a very rare case of myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder caused by an abnormal immune response. The patient came in that day not able to swallow and fearing some sort of cancer. After a special treatment from the hospital known as plasmapheresis, the patient is back to baseline before being discharged.

An ER doctor must be swift, caring and very patient. Dealing with constant interruptions while moving from room to room is very difficult and time consuming. A doctor must use time management skills to see each patient while consulting with team members. Dr. Mattin did all of these things just before he turned his floor over to the next doctor. After a quick rundown on the tracking board, Dr. Mattin headed home to his family.